LOCATION NOCKAMIXON         PA
Established Series
rev. WRK-REP
04/1999

NOCKAMIXON SERIES


The Nockamixon series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils on hills. They are formed in colluvium weathered from non-acid gray shale, siltstone and sandstone residuum. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan, slow to moderately slow in the fragipan, and moderately slow in the substratum. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 43 inches, and the mean annual air temperature is 54 degrees F.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Fragiudalfs

TYPICAL PEDON - Nockamixon silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, in an non-cultivated field on lower one third of a convex foot slopes, at an elevation of 460 feet. (Color are for moist soil.)

Ap--0 to 8 inches; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam; moderate fine and medium granular structure; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine and fine roots throughout; 7 percent channers of sandstone, and 3 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid; abrupt smooth boundary. (6 to 10 inches thick.)

Bt1--8 to 15 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine prominent light gray to gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions on surfaces of peds; few fine prominent strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors; 7 percent channers of sandstone, and 3 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

Bt2--15 to 24 inches; light yellowish brown (2.5Y 6/3), and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) channery silt loam; weak fine and medium subangular blocky structure; friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; common fine and medium roots; few faint clay films on faces of peds and in pores; few fine prominent light gray to gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions on surfaces of peds and strong brown (7.5YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors; 15 percent channers of sandstone, and 3 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Bt horizon is 10 to 20 inches.)

Btx1--24 to 31 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) channery silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse and very coarse platy parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots along faces of some peds; few distinct continuous clay films on faces of prisms and faint patchy clay films on faces of horizontal plates and peds; common medium prominent light gray to gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions along ped faces and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors; 20 percent channers of sandstone, and 3 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid; clear wavy boundary.

2Btx2--31 to 43 inches; brown (10YR 5/3) channery silt loam; moderate coarse prismatic structure parting to strong coarse and very coarse platy parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky; firm and brittle, nonsticky and nonplastic; few fine roots along faces of some peds; few distinct continuous clay films on faces of prisms and faint patchy clay films on faces of horizontal plates and peds; few fine distinct light gray to gray (10YR 6/1) iron depletions along ped faces and yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors; 15 percent channers of sandstone, and 10 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid; gradual wavy boundary. (The combined thickness of the Btx horizon is 14 to 20 inches.)

2C--43 to 60 inches; light olive brown (2.5Y 5/3) very channery silt loam; massive; friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few roots along faces of some peds; few fine prominent yellowish brown (10YR 5/6) masses of iron accumulation in ped interiors; few medium prominent iron stains on rock fragments; 35 percent channers of sandstone, and 15 percent pebbles of sandstone; moderately acid.

TYPE LOCATION: Nockamixon silt loam, 3 to 8 percent slopes, in a non-cultivated field, in Haycock Township, Bucks County, Nockamixon State Park, 1100 feet southeast of intersection of Pennsylvania Route 563 and Fishing Pier Road, 300 feet south of Fishing Pier Road; USGS Bedminster topographic quadrangle; Lat. 40 degrees 27 minutes 31 seconds N. and Long. 75 degrees 14 minutes 30 seconds W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS: Solum thickness ranges from 30 to 50 inches. Depth to bedrock is greater than 60 inches. Depth to fragipan is 16 to 36 inches. Depth to redox depletions or iron concentrations is 8 to 14 inches. Content of clay in the control section is 18 to 30 percent. Rock fragments ranges from 1 to 15 percent in the upper solum above the fragipan, 5 to 25 percent in the fragipan, and 35 to 60 percent in the substratum. Content of rock fragments in the control section is less than 35 percent. Kind of rock fragments are metamorphic shale, siltstone, and sandstone channers about 0.5 to 3 inches in diameter and 0.25 inches thick. In unlimed areas, soil reaction ranges from strongly acid to slightly acid in the solum, and moderately acid to neutral in the substratum.

The Ap horizon has hue of 7.5YR or 10YR, value of 2 to 5, and chroma of 0 to 2. It is silt loam or loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is weak or moderate, fine or medium granular or subangular blocky. Consistence is very friable or friable.

The Bt horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5Y, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 0 to 3. It is silt loam or silty clay loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is moderate medium subangular blocky. Consistence is friable or firm.

The Btx horizon has hue of 2.5YR to 7.5YR, value of 4 or 5, and chroma of 2 to 6. It is silt loam or loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is strong or moderate, coarse or very coarse prismatic parting to moderate, strong coarse or very coarse platy parting to weak fine and medium subangular blocky. Consistence is firm, very firm and brittle.

The C horizon has hue of 10YR or 2.5YR, value of 3 to 6, and chroma of 2 to 4. It is silt loam or loam in the fine earth fraction. Structure is massive. Consistence is firm or friable.

COMPETING SERIES: The Albrights, Amwell, Canfield, Rittman, Titusville, Turbotville and Urbana soils are in the same family. Albrights soils lack hues of 7.5YR or yellower. Amwell soils have sola thinner than 40 inches. Canfield and Rittman soils have base saturation greater than 60 percent at a depth 30 inches below the upper boundary of the fragipan. Titusville soils developed in weathered, pre-Wisconsin glacial till dominantly of sandstone and shale materials. Turbotville soils range from moderately acid in the upper part of the solum to mildly alkaline in the substratum. Urbana soils formed in material weathered from crystalline rocks. Rittman soils have coarse fragments dominated by sandstone and a few erratics.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Nockamixon soils are on hills in the Northern Piedmont Province. The soils are on convex foot slopes and lower side slopes. They are formed in colluvium derived from gray metamorphic shale and sandstone. Slope ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Mean annual precipitation is 42 to 45 inches. The mean annual air temperature is 45 to 63 degrees F. The frost-free days range from 155 to 190.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are Brecknock, Mount Lucas, Readington, Abbottstown, Chalfont, and Doylestown soils are on nearby landscapes. The well drained Brecknock soils and the moderately well drained Mount Lucas soils do not have a fragipan. Readington and Abbottstown soils lack hues of 10YR or yellower. The poorly drained Chalfont and Doylestown soils have redox depletions of chroma 2 or less directly below the surface layer.

DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Somewhat poorly drained. Surface runoff is slow to rapid. Permeability is moderate above the fragipan, and slow to moderately slow in the fragipan, and moderately slow in the substratum.

USE AND VEGETATION: Approximately 15 percent of the Nockamixon soils are in cropland, 20 percent are in pasture or hayland and 65 percent are in woodland or idle reverting to woodland. Wooded areas are mixed hardwoods.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Pennsylvania. The series is of moderate extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Morgantown, West Virginia

PROPOSED SERIES: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, 1993.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features in this pedon include: Ochric epipedon - the zone from the surface to a depth of 8 inches (Ap horizon). Argillic horizon - the zone from 10 to 44 inches (Bt1, Bt2, Btx1, and 2Btx2 horizons). Fragipan - the zone from 24 to 43 inches (Btx1 and 2Btx2 horizons) Soils were previously mapped as an inclusion with Lehigh, and Abbottstown series.

ADDITIONAL DATA: Partial reference samples from pedon 92PA017011 from Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Classification was changed in 03/99.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.